boží hrob

Boží hrob (the Holy Sepulchre) is a small chapel carved into the base of a massive sandstone rock tower, forming the centerpiece of a former Way of the Cross near Kamenický Šenov in northern Bohemia. The site sits roughly 2 km from the town, at the foot of a hill called Stráž, along the old road toward Česká Kamenice — today tucked into woodland near the town's public swimming area.

What exactly is on site?

The complex is a chain of stops laid out along a path that climbs from a spring at the bottom. The centerpiece is the Holy Sepulchre chapel itself: an open niche closed off with a wrought-iron grille, holding a sandstone figure of the body of Christ. The niche is cut into the base of the largest of the sandstone rock towers, topped with a wooden cross. Nearby stand a Chapel of the Holy Trinity and a smaller vaulted chapel referencing the Garden of Gethsemane, while a spring near the trailhead is known locally as the water of the Holy Cross.

Who built it, and why?

The original Way of the Cross with its rock-cut Holy Sepulchre was commissioned in 1846 by a local farmer, Franz Kreibich, together with the Holy Trinity chapel. The Way of the Cross itself, as a formal sequence of stations, was laid out in 1865 and repaired several times up through the years before the Second World War. It's a typical example of grassroots devotional building in this part of Bohemia — a pilgrimage site funded and maintained by the local community rather than a monastery or diocese.

Why doesn't it look like it did before the war?

During the 1950s, under state pressure against religious practice, the stations of the Way of the Cross were destroyed, and in 1974 the chapel and its rock-top tower were demolished outright. For decades afterward the whole site sat neglected, gradually reclaimed by forest and losing its legibility as a place of worship. Restoration only began in 2008, when a new cross was raised on top of the rock above the Holy Sepulchre. Today the town of Kamenický Šenov and a local association of "Friends of the Way of the Cross" look after the grounds. The rebuilt version doesn't reproduce every pre-demolition detail, but it restores the site's function and basic layout.

How do you get there, and what should you expect?

The route starts near the swimming area in the lower part of Kamenický Šenov and follows the old road toward Česká Kamenice — a gentle uphill walk through forest, with no technical difficulty. It's a quiet, low-key site, drawing visitors looking for something off the beaten path rather than the crowds that gather at nearby Panská skála or the town's glassworks. Budget around an hour to walk the full route and take in both chapels and the spring.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from an ordinary roadside shrine? It isn't a single object — it's part of a larger pilgrimage complex with a Way of the Cross, two chapels, and a spring, all built directly into the rock, which gives it an unusually sculptural form.

Is the chapel visitors see today the original 19th-century structure? Only partly. The original chapel and its tower were demolished in 1974; what stands now is the result of restoration work begun in 2008, following the site's earlier layout.

Who maintains the site today? The town of Kamenický Šenov, together with a local association dedicated to restoring and maintaining the Way of the Cross.

Is the walk to the site difficult? No — it's a short, easy forest path from the lower part of town, manageable for most visitors without special preparation.